Well I am astonished - yesterday I installed two new filters into two tanks and distributed my cycled media as I thought best. Less than 24 hours later both tanks appear to be fully cycled! I must have done something right... will keep testing both to make sure though!
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Excellent! Told you will be well worth the effort
Do let us know if this is a confirmed cycle after your tests!
Confirmed - both filters are instantly cycled! I think I've finally cracked this cycling lark 
Will post back once the fish are in. I might hang on until I've got some anubias petite to replace the dodgy stuff that melted since I'll have to drain the tank to attach it.
Will post back once the fish are in. I might hang on until I've got some anubias petite to replace the dodgy stuff that melted since I'll have to drain the tank to attach it.
Yaaay!
You have to do a large water change anyway before adding stocking, so a good idea to do your Anubia plant change at same time, 2 birds with one stone sorta thing!
Can't wait to see this fully stocked with happy fish swimming around in such a nice tank!
Absolutely well done!
You have to do a large water change anyway before adding stocking, so a good idea to do your Anubia plant change at same time, 2 birds with one stone sorta thing!
Can't wait to see this fully stocked with happy fish swimming around in such a nice tank!
Absolutely well done!
DevotedToDiscus
Fish Herder
That is damn B....E....A.....Utiful!!!!! Well done you.
Cheers Charlie! I was thinking the same thing - although I have been doing weekly 50% water changes on this tank anyway since I'm EI dosing. The plants need fresh water to remove their waste just the same as fishes do, especially in a newly setup tank.
Thanks DTD - that's a lovely comment from someone who has such a fantastic tank himself!
Thanks DTD - that's a lovely comment from someone who has such a fantastic tank himself!
DevotedToDiscus
Fish Herder
Wish my moss looked as sweet as yours! Mine doesn't have such a glow. I thought it was getting too much light, but yours is in direct light.........so what's the secret??daizeUK said:
I'm not sure! The lighting in this tank is only 2x 15W T8's, for a total of 30W over 32G. I added reflectors to improve the light output but it's still a low light tank. The clear background and white sand makes it look much brighter than it really is.
The same moss is struggling in my other tank, I assume due to lack of CO2 there. The moss was trimmed back at the start of September and then spent 2 months sitting neglected in a tray of water because I had no use for it and nobody on the forums wanted it. I wasn't even sure if it would survive but I'm pleased to see it thriving in its new home now!
Perhaps your moss will bounce back! It must be harder to grow plants in a tank as deep as yours; it's so much harder to get the light/CO2 balance right, especially at the lower levels.
The same moss is struggling in my other tank, I assume due to lack of CO2 there. The moss was trimmed back at the start of September and then spent 2 months sitting neglected in a tray of water because I had no use for it and nobody on the forums wanted it. I wasn't even sure if it would survive but I'm pleased to see it thriving in its new home now!
Perhaps your moss will bounce back! It must be harder to grow plants in a tank as deep as yours; it's so much harder to get the light/CO2 balance right, especially at the lower levels.
DevotedToDiscus
Fish Herder
Gorgeous! Amazing pic, and such rich colour. Loving this!
Added stock today: 6 harlequin rasboras and 8 threadfin rainbowfish. Oh and one male platy from my other tank!
I can't get very good pictures of the fish with my camera, they're always blurred and the colours don't seem to come out right but here's the best pics I could get of the threadfins. I can't get close up pics of the harlequins they're way too fast!
I'm really loving the rainbowfish. They're so delicate with beautiful subtle colours. Within five minutes of being introduced to the aquarium the males were treating me to a spectacular territorial display. I think I have to agree with you Charlie; threadfins are my new favourite fish!
After a few hours I began to get concerned about the smallest threadfin who had started hanging out alone near the surface. She was there for nearly an hour and I began to think that something must be wrong with her. Then I realised... she's the only female! It looks like I've got 7 males and only 1 female and she is trying to get away from the males! They were all over her as soon as she came down, poor thing. I should have paid closer attention in the shop but the assistant seemed to think I had a good mix of males and females so I didn't think to check.
When my husband got home he looked at the fish and said, "Is that what all this effort has been for? They're all silver!"
I'm sure he just loves to wind me up. He has got a point though but I think the subtle silvery colours work well in this tank. I don't think that brightly coloured fish would work but I can't explain why.
You're right about the platy as well Charlie, ideally I wouldn't have selected platies to stock this tank. They're too stocky to complement the delicate threadfins well. It's a practical issue rather than aesthetic, I need to separate my platies to stop them breeding! I can't take any more!
I really hope the fish are all happy in their new home. I'm always nervous the first few nights that something will go wrong!
I can't get very good pictures of the fish with my camera, they're always blurred and the colours don't seem to come out right but here's the best pics I could get of the threadfins. I can't get close up pics of the harlequins they're way too fast!
I'm really loving the rainbowfish. They're so delicate with beautiful subtle colours. Within five minutes of being introduced to the aquarium the males were treating me to a spectacular territorial display. I think I have to agree with you Charlie; threadfins are my new favourite fish!
After a few hours I began to get concerned about the smallest threadfin who had started hanging out alone near the surface. She was there for nearly an hour and I began to think that something must be wrong with her. Then I realised... she's the only female! It looks like I've got 7 males and only 1 female and she is trying to get away from the males! They were all over her as soon as she came down, poor thing. I should have paid closer attention in the shop but the assistant seemed to think I had a good mix of males and females so I didn't think to check.
When my husband got home he looked at the fish and said, "Is that what all this effort has been for? They're all silver!"
You're right about the platy as well Charlie, ideally I wouldn't have selected platies to stock this tank. They're too stocky to complement the delicate threadfins well. It's a practical issue rather than aesthetic, I need to separate my platies to stop them breeding! I can't take any more!
I really hope the fish are all happy in their new home. I'm always nervous the first few nights that something will go wrong!
Thom_Hardy
New Member
i noticed something earlier in the thread and wondered;
How many Co2 reactors are you using? i have a 125 litre tank, and was using 2 2litre bottles and my glass defuser was working perfectly!
averageing 1 bps and a nice green colour on the drop checker!
i have now gone to a slighty more technical DIY system using a soda stream cylinder and some fittings i bought from a local plumbers merchant!
in the long run works out cheaper AND it lasts up to 4 months!!! no more of your house smelling like a drunk homless person!!!
How many Co2 reactors are you using? i have a 125 litre tank, and was using 2 2litre bottles and my glass defuser was working perfectly!
averageing 1 bps and a nice green colour on the drop checker!
i have now gone to a slighty more technical DIY system using a soda stream cylinder and some fittings i bought from a local plumbers merchant!
in the long run works out cheaper AND it lasts up to 4 months!!! no more of your house smelling like a drunk homless person!!!
Lol my house doesn't smell of booze haha but I am still open to other CO2 solutions - have posted in your other thread and will be interested to see what you recommend.
Currently I'm using 2x 2L CO2 yeast reactors with about 1/8 tsp yeast + 225g sugar in each. I refill them on alternate weeks. As long as the drop checker is more greenish than blue-ish then I'm happy!
I was planning to add another 2L reactor just to help cover for the 48hour drop in CO2 when I refill a bottle.
Thanks for the input Thom, maybe I should be aiming for a greener DC and with a bit more pressure I might be able to re-connect the diffuser.
Currently I'm using 2x 2L CO2 yeast reactors with about 1/8 tsp yeast + 225g sugar in each. I refill them on alternate weeks. As long as the drop checker is more greenish than blue-ish then I'm happy!
I was planning to add another 2L reactor just to help cover for the 48hour drop in CO2 when I refill a bottle.
Thanks for the input Thom, maybe I should be aiming for a greener DC and with a bit more pressure I might be able to re-connect the diffuser.
Now the tank has come to life!
Got to agree that silver fish do stand out very nicely in a tank like this, looks really good.
Got to agree that silver fish do stand out very nicely in a tank like this, looks really good.
The little female threadfin didn't make it.
Maybe she was too weak to stand the stress of moving, maybe it was the stress of being harassed by seven males, maybe it was the stress of being alone with no other females to shoal with. Maybe all of that and exhaustion from a current that is a little too strong for threadfins?
Sorry girl.
Maybe she was too weak to stand the stress of moving, maybe it was the stress of being harassed by seven males, maybe it was the stress of being alone with no other females to shoal with. Maybe all of that and exhaustion from a current that is a little too strong for threadfins?
Sorry girl.
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